Andyjr1515

It's like seeing an old friend Looks good now it's all reassembled. Brill! Thanks for posting Andy

A simple but clever jig. Hopefully he doesn't wear a tie!

[quote name='martin8708' timestamp='1449355169' post='2922945'] Best opening chord . B flat sus 2 - Prince - Purple Rain , great great intro . [/quote] ^^^this^^^

Thanks, folks Still subject to final shaping and sanding, but the volute is now starting to take shape: Progress will probably slow right down over the next couple of weeks - starting from tomorrow, we have pre-christmas visitors, followed by christmas visitors followed by post-christmas visitors... If I don't post for a while, Have a Happy Christmas Everyone

Really nice body styling and yes, great detailing on the neck....

Rain stopped outdoors play again, so I started on the headstock. First, used a coping saw to cut the outline out within a few mm: Then trial fitted the plate - also to make sure the allen key would fit into the slot for truss rod adjustment (which it wouldn't on one of my builds!): Then glue and clamp:

[quote name='deepbass5' timestamp='1450306232' post='2931623'] Just wondered while you are doing all this work on the neck - are you thinking, one slip and it goes on the fire [/quote] Always....

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1450296369' post='2931529'] I've heard a lot of good things about veritas things. I've actually asked for a couple of their saws for christmas. [/quote] They are very good quality. I think you will be pleased if Santa brings them

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1450293564' post='2931486'] Ooh Veritas, very nice! You make it look easy! [/quote] Actually, the Veritas was a very recent acquisition - first use today. Worth every penny (in in comparison to some of the 'better' makes, not too exhorbitant - very easy to adjust for the optimum cut depth. My cheapo cheapo one was actually surprisingly good, but this is definitely better It's the fastest that I've got to this stage...took less than 1hr. I'm sure last time I did it (for the bubinga fretless), it took much longer. The key seems to be doing the two datums first - I didn't do that last time.

As it was relatively dry this afternoon, got a pass-out to do the rough carve on the neck. The first job was to file down to the template profile shape with a rasp file. After a tip-off from a guy on another forum, I nowadays use the 'microplane' rasps - they are brilliant!: First fret done: ...then the seventh fret: Then out comes the spokeshave to plane between the two datum points. Of course to use the spokeshave it's a two-handed job but, based on the threadlock on the rug, I had to take the photo myself : The profile is now starting to get there : Then a bit of sanding to smooth off the facets: The ditto from the heel to the 7th fret datum point: So that has the broad shape. I will now take my time with cabinet scrapers to get the neck 'feeling just right' and also finish off the heel before a final sanding. Thanks for looking Andy

For the MEC's (I'm assuming they are passive ) I can thoroughly recommend this Seymour Duncan EQ http://www.thomann.de/gb/seymour_duncan_stc2p.htm I fitted the 3 band version with MEC's to my thumb tribute, but have since used the 2 band version and found it just as flexible but more intuitive. I have one fitted to my own bass and am fitting one also to kert's camphor and alder single cut presently in the build threads. It is, however, quite big and 9v powered, so would need some routing work I love that bridge but agree with others...it looks great but won't make an appreciable difference to the sound.

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1450165858' post='2930092'] Will Santa be bringing your good lady wife a new rug? I hope so! [/quote] Well, Santa will have to bring something - based on the forecast of continuous rain for the next 25 years (or so it feels) it looks like I'm going to have to do the whole carve in the spare room! I've planed down the back of the neck to final size and started the carve of the heel - the latter will be finished once I have the profile shaped: From the profile-gauge measurements that Kert did for me from his Warwick, I have cut out a stiff plasticard template of that neck profile at the 1st, 7th and 12th frets: The neck depth mentioned above, also matches his Warwick. The next steps is that I will rasp and finish file the profile at those three positions, and then use a spokeshave to remove the bulk in between. That's a lot of shavings to try to hide....

Got the answer! Cover the stain with wood shavings MrsAndyjr1515 is out at the moment, but the moment she comes back and sees this, she'll be jumping for joy and I'll be back in the good books!!!

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1450031022' post='2928955'] I think she will be carving your neck when she sees the ink stain! Have you got a pet you can blame it on? [/quote] Already blamed the threadlock on the cat....

That's lovely, Ian. Very, very nice finish an a great looking bass

Thanks, folks So with apologies for the complete shambles around it - the detritus of last night's gig and the result of having to do all of this stuff indoors due to the seemingly endless rain, the fretboard is finally glued and clamped! The more observant amongst you will see the resulting stain that dropping an almost full bottle of threadlock does to a rug (which, as you can imagine, went down rather well with Mrs Andyjr1515). Happily the little Vox practice amp covers the even larger and considerably brighter permanent red ink stain that Mrs Andyjr1515 hasn't seen yet... The pack of printer paper, by the way, is stopping the cheapo indoor folding workbench from overbalancing and ruining everybody's day. Repeating the oft quoted mantra .... you can never have too many clamps. I reckon I'm going to be neck carving soon

Kert and I had a PM discussion about wood features vs number of frets. While the fretboard would have gone to 24 frets, it would have covered up all of one of the particularly nice figuring features. Based on a 'normal' PJ being 20 frets, we have gone for 21 frets on the treble side and 20 frets for the two bass strings: This figuring, when it has been gloss-varnished, will look wonderful: I've still got to narrow down the fretboard progressively to the nut width (and finish gap-filling the big swift!) but the fretboard and headstock faceplate should be able to be glued before the end of the weekend: Then....I'll be able to start carving the neck

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1449823280' post='2927104'] Colour me very pleased [/quote] Phew! Thanks, Kert I set the inlays in and sanded them down. Just a couple of missed gaps to fill but looking good! You'll all be getting fed up of this, but I'm not! I've done a bit more sanding and slurry tru-oiled the whole thing. I do this to seal and grain fill and also to see the bits that need sanding a bit more - it shows up much more clearly like this. It also gives a pretty close match to how the wood shades are going to look when it is fully finished. I like the alder against the camphor now it's toned down a bit: I now know for sure that this is going to be the best looking bass - or guitar - that I've built yet As always, thanks for looking Andy

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1449823113' post='2927103'] Nice work. I'm hoping to get a StewMac Dremel router base for Xmas. Then I'll start playing with some inlays - but not on my telecaster build, that's complicated enough already Edit: What do you use? [/quote] Hi, Norris I use the same. A precision dremel router base (from a UK supplier but basically the same) with a 2mm, 1mm or micro bit, depending on the size of the rout. For cutting the mother of pearl, I use a jewellers saw and a bit of mdf with a single saw cut in it as a cutting table. I also always keep some sanding dust from the woods I use to mix with clear epoxy to fill any small gaps. Certainly for ebony, when it's sanded back down, the filled gaps are pretty invisible.

Thanks, folks While the slurry was drying, I looked for another job that could be done indoors. Headstock plate! Cut out my moniker swifts from Mother of Pearl and also cut and routed the trussrod cover: Then routed the headstock plate: I'll epoxy them in with ebony dust mixed in to fill any gaps and sand the plate flat in the morning

Initially tru-oil, using the slurry and wipe technique. Depending on how that looks on the alder, and depending on FuNkShUi's preference, I will either finish on that, or overcoat it with a very thin wipe-on poly varnish. My concern with leaving it tru-oil, is that the alder is quite soft and will easily dint if there is no added protection. Either way, I have the distinct feeling this is going to look [i]fabulous. [/i][i] [/i]

Thanks, scojack. Much appreciated Couldn't resist posting this. It is the first slurry coat to start to fill the pretty dramatic end grain evident in places on the camphor. This is one very special piece of wood I'm really pleased it's going on this project....

[quote name='Bastav' timestamp='1449691516' post='2926072'] I like the symmetry of the grain on the back carve if you get my meaning! [/quote] Thanks - and yes, I do. Even though a two piece back would have been cheaper, I got a one-piece and cut it into two so that the grain pattern was contiguous (if that's the right word) either side of the neck. The grain pattern's nice for alder...sometimes that wood can be a little plain.

[quote name='deepbass5' timestamp='1449680324' post='2925934'] Nice lines. may be nice to cut an angle across the finger board to follow the contour from the upper bout to the lower. It is gonna be a fantastic looking bass [/quote] Thanks! And yes - there will actually be a scalloped curve... I like the "turtle hit by the speedboat" imagery...I think!

That's looking very nice, cameltoe Andy